Structure for locking a shutter member in a toner supplying container

Abstract

A toner supplying container has a container body having a toner discharge opening, a shutter member, a lever member, and a locking member. The lever member at its closing position causes the elastic portion of the locking member to be elastically deformed to urge the locking member to the locking position. When the container body is mounted on the image-forming machine body, the locking member is displaced to a lock-releasing position, permitting the lever member to be turned from the closing position to the opening position.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a toner supplying container used for supplying a toner to a developing device provided for an electrostatic image-forming machine such as a printer, a copying machine or a facsimile.DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART[0002]A toner is contained in a toner supplying container (toner supplying cartridge) used for supplying the toner to a developing device provided for the above-mentioned image-forming machine. After the toner supplying container containing the toner is mounted on the developing device or on the image-forming machine body, which is a mounting member, a toner carrier screw housed in the toner supplying container is rotated. Therefore, the toner held therein is discharged through a toner discharge opening and is supplied into the developing device.[0003]It is not desired that the toner contained in the toner supplying container leaks to the outer side, before the toner supplying container of the form described above ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a novel toner supplying container that prevents leakage of toner before it is mounted on a mounting member or after it is removed. The container is made up of a decreased number of parts, reducing costs and allowing for easy disposal. It uses synthetic resin members instead of metallic parts, and can be turned on and off without requiring sorting. The container is designed to prevent the lever member from exerting a pushing force on the elastic portion of the locking member, and the locking member is designed to be engaged and disengaged with the lever member. The lever member is designed to push the elastic portion of the locking member in a way that allows for easy engagement and disengagement with the shutter drive member. The container is designed to prevent the lever member from exerting a pushing force on the elastic portion of the locking member, and the locking member is designed to be engaged and disengaged with the lever member.

Problems solved by technology

The above toner supplying container, however, requires an urging spring portion or, specifically, a metallic tensile coil spring, which is a separate member, for urging the lock lever portion, resulting in an increase in the number of parts and in an increase in the cost.

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